He told the king and his court that Elisa was a witch. Why else would she leave the castle at midnight to pick stinging nettles? he asked.

The king was troubled by what he had heard. “Speak if you are innocent!” he commanded Elisa. But she dared not reply, for the last coat was not yet finished. As the court argued about what to do with Elisa, she slipped away and ran to her room.

Elisa worked quickly to finish the last coat before the eleven swans had to fly to the forest for the night.

The sun was low in the sky as she finished the last coat. She gathered up all eleven coats and ran toward the river, hoping no one would see her. But no sooner was she outside than a crowd spotted her and began to chase her.

Elisa arrived at the river just as the swans were lifting their wings to fly away to the forest.

“Wait, brothers!” she called. The swans settled in a ring around their sister, to protect her.

Elisa tossed the coats over the swans’ heads, and immediately they were transformed into eleven splendid princes. Elisa then turned to the king.

“Now I may speak,” she said, “for my brothers are saved.” And she told the king the story of the spell her brothers had been under, and all she had done to release them from it.

As Elisa spoke, the garden burst into bloom, and the scent of roses filled the air. Now everyone knew that Elisa was not a witch. At the king’s elbow swayed a white rose. He picked it and put it into Elisa’s hands.

“You are as pure as this rose,” he said, “and I want you to be my bride.”

Elisa could smile at last, and no one was ever as happy as Elisa and the king on their wedding day.

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